1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to door hardware and more particularly to an improved door stop.
2. Description of the Related Art
Simply stated, a door stop is a device to be mounted behind a door to arrest opening movement of the door before the door or its handle strikes an adjacent wall or other member behind the door. Some door stops are secured to the wall or attached onto the door. This invention is concerned with door stops of the latter kind. For convenience, this latter kind of door stop is referred to as a wall mounted stop, although the stop may be secured to a support other than a wall. Wall mounted door stops are available in at least two different types. One type is a rigid stop constructed of metal with a cushion tip at one end and a screw at the other end to be threaded in the wall or other support. The other type comprises a flexible coil spring-like extension having a cushion tip at one end and a screw at the other end. Both of these existing stops are installed by threading the screws into a baseboard or other support behind the door. The stop is not laterally yieldable and may cause the screw to break if contacted by an object that produces a lateral impact on the stop. Also, the stop may cause injury to a child or other person who accidentally comes in contact with the stop, particularly if its cushion tip has separated from the stop. The spring-like coil stop avoids such impact to the door, but suffers from the disadvantage that it often bends or buckles under the impact of the door, thus allowing the door to strike the wall or other protected object. Both of these existing kinds of stops suffer from the disadvantage that they tend to collect dirt. The cushion tips of the stops tend to separate from the stops and the non-cushioned stop will damage a door or baseboard. Accordingly, a definite need exists for an improved door stop that is free of the noted problems.
The improved door bumper of this invention has a support mold including an elongated retractable shaft and a large rubber end piece for contact with the wall to stop the door. The base portion of the elongated shaft is molded or otherwise formed from metal material. When the door strikes the wall, the door bumper""s rubber end piece yields slightly to stop the door with a cushioned action which avoids damage to the wall. Another feature of the invention resides in the fact that the shaft of the door bumper is retracted when the door is closed, locking in place the rubber end piece and thus avoiding the possibility of injury to a child in the room. If the shaft is extended outward the stop yields and returns to its initial position when the force is removed. The rubber end piece snaps on and is glued. The door bumper is also pleasing in appearance and may be made in various polished metals that will match the texture of the door handle. The door stop can be placed on any corner of the door.